Senior Farewell by//Erin Short

As an eighth grader, I truly thought I had everything figured out. I was the captain of the dance team at Scribner, I had good grades, and I had so many friends. I was never fully prepared to come to highschool and face the harsh reality of responsibility and independence.

The struggles I have faced this year have been very hard but the accomplishments i have made far outweigh the things i’ve failed. Not only did I finish my fourth and last year on Bulldolls and my third year on the Blotter as an editor, I also completed something I never thought i would have; my online algebra class.

When I was in fourth grade and made the Grant Line dance team, my mom told me that maybe if i stayed with it I could be on bulldolls one day. I thought she was crazy to think I could make the high school dance but being on the team all four years was one of the biggest and best things i’ve ever done. Dance was an outlet for my life that i wouldn’t be the same without.For the first three years i was on team, I never qualified to compete with my team. I never thought i would have that opportunity. My senior year, when we got new coaching staff, I worked harder than I ever had and ended up competing in both routines. Coach Jordan and Coach Alexis opened so many doors in my life for me and gave me a support system like no other. I am so excited for my future in the Bulldolls program and all the new things i’ll take on in the future.

As an eighth grader who loved to read, write, and take pictures, i loved the idea of taking a journalism class. Sophomore, Junior, and Senior year on the Blotter were so amazing. I got to be with all my friends doing what I loved. Being on the newspaper gave me a place to escape to and gave me an outlet for all my opinions. Throughout the years I have shared so many opinions and i am so happy that everyone has read them and shared their own. As an editor I loved being in a position of authority and doing it with my best friends was something i won’t forget. I also wouldn’t have been able to do it without my newspaper adviser, Mrs. Faulkner. Some teachers just stick in your heart and she definitely has. Not only was she a light at the end of the tunnel, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, she was also a constant motivator for me to push through all the hardships I faced this year. I hope that i turn out to be half the teacher she is in my future.

I’ll never forget the first semester of biology 1, my freshman science class, when I received the first D ever. That report card, plus the wrath of my mother, shook me to the core. Now, as a senior, I realize how little I knew about the grading system and how many times I would let it fool me. I have always struggled with my grades and studying. Here I am completely content with my core 40 diploma and happy that I will be walking across the stage. I truly struggled with finishing my online class but thanks to all my friends and family, I pushed through.

Highschool relationships come with a set of their own cliches that many people make fun of. I was always the type to stick my neck out for love and let people enjoy their relationships, no matter how young. I realize now that one thing you shouldn’t do in high school is let a relationship make your decisions for you. For so long I let a toxic relationship have my full attention and put school on the back burner. I feel as though so many young girls fall into this hole and forget about everything except the person they love. I was lucky enough to find someone who truly has nice intentions for me now. I now know that with age, love gets better. I hate those juvenile type of relationships, but I made it through the one I was in and completely grew from the situation.

High school is many things. Sometimes it is like the movies, sometimes it isn’t. I’m so happy that i can say things like the basketball team won state when I was in highschool, my senior year my dance team qualified for state, and I found myself more than anything else.I have my best friends, my family, my girlfriend, and so much more to thank for that. I will never forget my years at New Albany and I hope I truly left my mark on this school, it truly left its mark on me.